1. Field of the Invention
This invention directs itself to panels for use in assembling a radiation, microbial, acoustic, and ballistic shielded space within a building. In particular, this invention directs itself to a modular scheme of inter-fitting panels to allow shielding to be accomplished in not only a room, but for use in head boards, concentric arcs, self contained free standing environments or other personal spaces.
2. Prior Art
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are present everywhere in the environment but are invisible to the human eye. Radiation from an EMF can be broken down into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation carries so much energy per quantum that they can break bonds between molecules. Examples of ionizing radiation are gamma rays, cosmic rays, and X-rays. Non-ionizing radiation does not carry enough energy per quantum to break bonds between molecules. Examples of non-ionizing radiation are microwaves, radio waves, and visible light.
The time-varying EMF produced by electrical appliances are an example of extremely low frequency (ELF) fields. ELF fields generally have frequencies up to 300 Hz. Other technologies produce intermediate frequency fields (IF) with frequencies from 300 Hz to 10 MHz and radiofrequency fields (RF) with frequencies of 10 MHz to 300 GHz. The effects of EMF fields on the human body depend not only on their field level, but also on their frequency and energy. Our electricity supply and all appliances using electricity are the main sources of ELF fields; computer screens, anti-theft devices and security systems are the main sources of IF fields; and radio, television, radar and cellular telephone antennas, and microwave ovens are the main sources of RF fields. These fields induce currents within the human body, which if sufficient can produce a range of effects such as heating and electrical shock, depending on their amplitude and frequency range. Radiation shielding materials are well known in the art and materials typically used for ionizing radiation sources include lead, polyethelene, lead/tin and lead/bismuth amalgams. Nickel coated carbon fibers and other non-woven metalized fibers are lightweight, flexible materials and are ideal for shielding against non-ionizing radiation. Mumetal foil is known in the prior art as a low frequency magnetic shielding material.
Complete shielding against electric and magnetic fields requires a “Faraday Cage”. Simply put, a Faraday cage is a structure, which is electrically conductive and/or magnetically permeable, which completely surrounds a defined volume of space in all three physical dimensions. For example, a room can be made into a Faraday Cage if all the walls, the floor, the ceiling and all openings are screened. In fact such an environment is used in making sensitive radio-frequency measurements. In that context it is usually called as “screen room”. This invention can accomplish a Faraday cage to create a wideband screen room which would shield against electric and magnetic fields as well as ionizing radiation, but all the surfaces would need to be treated and all operable openings (i.e. door) would need to be equipped with the shield as well as a method of insuring its continuity when the door is closed.
In an effort to prevent or mitigate bacterial colonization on the surfaces of implant and medical devices, manufacturers have been investigating surface modification technologies, specifically surface coatings that are engineered to release bactericidal agents in a controlled manner. While these antimicrobial products are primarily being developed for medical devices to prevent the formation of biofilms, they are not just for medical devices and are well known in the prior art and include silver containing coatings, micro-encapsulated bi-neutralizing agents, and nano-coatings known to kill viral and bacterial microbes when exposed to light. This invention incorporates anti-microbial coatings on the layer exposed to the radiation, acoustical and ballistically shielded space's occupants.
When sound strikes a surface, some of it is absorbed, some of it is reflected and some of it is transmitted through the surface dense surfaces, for the most part, will isolate sound well, but reflect sound back into the room. Porous surfaces, for the most part, will absorb sound well, but will not isolate. The main way to minimize sound transmission from one space to another is adding mass and damping, which is well known in the art.
Visco-Elastic materials are most commonly used to damp vibration and minimize the transference of sound vibration and are used in a constrained layer damping system (CLD). The damping materials serve to dissipate energy. Visco elastic foam is effective in eliminating most sound transference, but low-frequency sound waves are long and strong and they are the toughest to control. SheetBlok is a dense, limp-mass vinyl material that is about 6 dB more effective than solid lead at stopping the transmission of sound. It acts as a thick, dense sound barrier layer in walls, ceilings or floors and is most effective when used as one component of a multi-layered construction scheme. Ideally, SheetBlok sandwiched in between two layers of visco-elastic acoustical foam held together by a spray adhesive such as Foamtak would provide an ideal acoustical shielding material.
Bulletproof and ballistic materials are well known in the art. Examples include Kevlar®, Twaron®, Dyneema®, Zylon® and even polyethelene. This invention incorporates the use of a ballistic material layer.
Radiation shielding for use within a building is well known in the art. Typically, such systems are incorporated into the building structure during its initial construction or retrofitted by demolishing existing interior structural surfaces and refitting the space with shielding materials and new structural surfaces. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 7,064,280 provides for a modular construction system wherein a plurality of panels which include radiation shielding material, such as lead, are provided for securement to the structural surfaces existing in a room. However, none of the prior art combines layers to produce simultaneous radiation, microbial, acoustical and ballistic shielding.